BigJacko's Utilities - WebLogRDNS --------------------------------- README FILE ----------- 1. Purpose of Application ------------------------- 1.1 BigJacko's WebLogRDNS is intended to assist webmasters by enhancing standard webserver log files so that they contain full DNS Domain information as well as the original IP Addresses of visiting client machines. 1.2 WebLogRDNS works with most normal W3SVC-format webserver logs (e.g. as used by Microsoft Internet Information Services 4 & 5, and many other webserver implementation). 1.3 WebLogRDNS will process whole files in one operation, inserting the corresponding domain name (if located) after the first IP Address found on each line of the log-file. 1.4 Depending on your webserver implementation, WebLogRDNS may also provide the same functionality for FTPserver log-files, or indeed, any file containing IP Addresses on separate lines. 2. Download & Installation -------------------------- 2.1 Before installing any new copies of WebLogRDNS you are advised to DE-INSTALL any earlier versions you may already have installed on your machine. 2.2 Download the installation zip-file, WebLogRDNS.Zip from the BigJacko website (http://www.bigjacko.com/) to a folder on your PC. 2.3 Extract the installation files to a temporary sub-folder, and run 'SETUP.EXE'. 2.4 Follow the on-screen prompts to install the WebLogRDNS application in the location of your choice. 2.5 When installed, run 'WebLogRDNS' from the shortcut in Start>>Programs>>BigJacko's Utilities (or wherever you installed the application, if different). 3. Removal/De-installation -------------------------- 4.1 To remove WebLogRDNS, select Start>>Control Panel>>Add/Remove Programs>>WebLogRDNS to commence the automatic de-installation process. 4.2 When completed, you may be required to restart your machine (depending on your version of the Microsoft Windows Operating System). 4. System Requirements ---------------------- 4.1 WebLogRDNS has been tested on Windows 2000, Windows 98SE, and is believed to operate correctly on Windows 95, Windows NT, Windows ME and Windows XP. 4.2 WebLogRDNS will only attempt Reverse-DNS lookups on the first IP Address found on each line of the input log-file, so depending on your configuration, if your log-files have multiple IP Addresses per line (configurable via the webserver's logging output levels), you may not be able to make WebLogRDNS work as desired until you reconfigure the webserver's logging output. 4.3 No other special requirements are envisaged. 5. Operating WebLogRDNS ----------------------- 5.1 After launching WebLogRDNS the first time, you will not be able to begin processing web-log files until you have correctly located a file for input, and a folder and filename for output. Use the text boxes or the browse buttons to locate a web-log file, and to denote a sensible output file (WebLogRDNS will attempt to suggest a filename for the output, based upon your choice of input file, but you are at liberty to override this choice by typing a new name, or using the browse button to select a different file) 5.2 You may also choose whether to save the output file directly over the original input file (WARNING - USE CAUTION WITH THIS METHOD). WebLogRDNS will create a temporary file during the operation of the application, and copy this over the original file when completed. This operation can be cancelled at any time before the final copy process, without affecting the original file, by clicking the Cancel button. 5.3 The on-screen display indicates the current line number being processed in the input file, the most-recent IP Address undergoing Reverse-DNS translation and the corresponding DNS Domain discovered for that IP address. 5.4 To save time during the RDNS operation, WebLogRDNS stores successful RDNS lookups in a memory-based cache, so that repeat IP Addresses can be copied from there. The Clear DNS Cache will remove all IP Address & DNS information stored in this cache. 5.5 WebLogRDNS also stores information regarding failed RDNS lookups, and will attempt a lookup on the same IP Address a maximum of three times before adding it to the memory cache of 'DNS Duds'. Future appearances of this IP Address in the input file will not be resolved using RDNS, but will instead result in the error information from the last failed attempt to resolve this IP Address being used in the output file instead. You may empty this list of failed IP Addresses at any time by clicking the 'Clear DNS Duds' button. 5.6 Neither the DNS Cache, nor the DNS Duds will survive the termination or re-launching of the WebLogRDNS application. This may appear in a future revision. 6. Contact Information ---------------------- 6.1 The author of this software is Neil D. Jackson (aka BigJacko), and you may reach him at the email address bigjacko@bigjacko.com, or via the website at http://www.bigjacko.com/ 6.2 While the author is keen to hear of your experiences using the WebLogRDNS application, no guarantee of technical support or assistance is either given or implied. 7. Version Information ---------------------- v1.00.0007 - 30-July-2004: Fixed - IP's correctly discovered when placed right at the beginning or end of lines. v1.00.0006 - 30-June-2002: Mods: Failed lookups no longer contain spaces (enabling easier parsing of output file in other programs). + Option to REPLACE IP addresses with hostnames or to ADD hostnames after IP addresses. + Will find IP addresses surrounded by tabs, spaces brackets, or ending in all the above, plus commas and colons. + Front-panel status info gets cleared when new input file is selected (for clarity). + Ability to decide what happens in output file when substituting, and DNS errors occur. + Can automatically spawn Notepad (if it exists) when finished. + WebLogRDNS now supports most standard webserver logs, ftp logs and syslog output files. ++Upgrade advised, to obtain these new features.++ v1.00.0005 - 24-June-2002: Mod: now handles multiple IPs per line. + Fixed problem with truncation of last digit of IP. ++Upgrade Strongly Advised!++ v1.00.0003 - 23-June-2002: First release candidate ENDS